? ? ? ? 'A dear old friend,' said I. 'Thank you, Trotwood,' returned Mr. Dick, laughing, and reaching across in high glee to shake hands with me. 'But I mean, boy,' resuming his gravity, 'what do you consider me in this respect?' touching his forehead.
? ? ? ? I was puzzled how to answer, but he helped me with a word.
? ? ? ? 'Weak?' said Mr. Dick.
? ? ? ? 'Well,' I replied, dubiously. 'Rather so.'
? ? ? ? 'Exactly!' cried Mr. Dick, who seemed quite enchanted by my reply. 'That is, Trotwood, when they took some of the trouble out of you-know-who's head, and put it you know where, there was a -' Mr. Dick made his two hands revolve very fast about each other a great number of times, and then brought them into collision, and rolled them over and over one another, to express confusion. 'There was that sort of thing done to me somehow. Eh?'
? ? ? ? I nodded at him, and he nodded back again.
? ? ? ? 'In short, boy,' said Mr. Dick, dropping his voice to a whisper, 'I am simple.'
? ? ? ? I would have qualified that conclusion, but he stopped me.
? ? ? ? 'Yes, I am! She pretends I am not. She won't hear of it; but I am. I know I am. If she hadn't stood my friend, sir, I should have been shut up, to lead a dismal life these many years.
Pages:
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048
1049
1050
1051
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056